Why Does My Cat Sleep On Me?

Have you ever asked yourself, why does my cat sleep on me? You can find the answer here!

Your cat loves to sleep with you for several reasons: temperature, comfort, safety and bonding. Find out more about it and whether it is a good idea or not to sleep with cats.

Every human and every cat are unique, but in many homes, cats share the bed with their human friends. Or, at the very least, that’s my case.

Sleeping with our cat can be relaxing and soothing for us but what is your cat seeking when he sleeps with you?

Several factors make the cat feel at ease on your bed, including:

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• Temperature: 

Cats tend to find warmth. We will find them under the only ray of sunshine coming through the window, on the heaters, on the blankets and… on you, of course! Cats look for warmth when they rest, so they find it on your bed, under your duvet or even on your lap.

• Comfort: 

Cats can sleep anywhere, especially when we consider that they sleep 15 hours a day. What they like best is to sleep on warm, comfortable and soft places. Your bed seems to fit that description pretty well. Besides, they don’t look for physical comfort only. Cats also find protection and mental comfort when they sleep next to you.

• Safety: 

Cats are always on high alert to their surroundings. Even though they might seem placidly asleep, the slightest sound will bring them back from their slumber. Sleeping next to you provides them with safety and peace of mind.

• Bonding

Their relationship with you can be more or less cozy depending on the cat and on yourself, but it is natural for the cat to miss you (especially if you work away from home and he doesn’t see you for hours). He will try to take advantage of the nighttime to be close to you. Besides, kittens in litters live altogether to provide each other with warmth, comfort, and protection. Cats see you just as another one of their litter, so his caresses and scratches and sleeping together are just part of what it means to be “another cat” to him.

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And indeed, sleeping together or on top of you is a way of showing you his love.

Is it a good idea to sleep with cats?

Many sources discourage the idea of sleeping with cats, especially if you suffer from allergy, and for hygienic reasons. Another point is that cats have different timetables altogether, and tend to be more active at night, which can lead them to wake you up in the middle of the night.

Honestly, everyone is free to choose whether they want to sleep with their cats or not. What counts is that is not a decision you can change. Cats will not understand that something that was always allowed is all of a sudden banned.

Why Does My Cat Sleep On Me – Our Experience

My mind is made up, and I sleep with my cats. Although we could say that they are the right decision-makers, our bedroom door is wide open, and they come and go as they please.

Personally, I think the benefits in matters of care, comfort, and wellbeing when sleeping with cats far outweigh any low points.

In our case, Kato usually sits on our lap while Conxa prefers to lie on the side of the bed. They take their alarm-clock role to heart, and shortly before we wake up to go to work, they come asking for their morning cuddles. Sometimes, they are more thoughtful and wait until one of us is awake.

Actually, I am allergic to cats (not my strongest allergy, but there it is) but this has never been a deterrent to keep enjoying these moments with them.

Stories about “my cat sleeps with me” from our readers:

[su_quote cite=”Virginia”]

I just love to sleep with my cats, or shall I say, that they sleep with me. One of them is really kind. She lies by my side or leans slightly, while the other one is much cheekier and she could lie on my face if I let her XD. However, they are the sweetest things in the world, especially when they start purring just before falling asleep.

Regarding allergies, I am lucky they are not a problem. And regarding hygiene, we can be much more dangerous to them than they to us, as we go away and get in contact with other animals, which could be a source of infections for them. Besides, considering they spend half of the time grooming themselves and their saliva contains antibacterial agents, there is no need to worry too much, especially if the cat never leaves the house. However, their caretaker’s attention is essential, and their sandbox must be kept clean at all times. If it is a longhaired cat, he needs to receive adequate care with strict veterinarian control. [/su_quote]

[su_quote cite=”Tawnya”]

I lived with cats until my teens, but when I got married, my husband didn’t like them. They horrified him.

After 25 years caring for an old dog, my husband gave in, and we adopted a kitten. His training was much simpler than the dogs.

When we went to work, Sasha kept our dog Simon’s company. After my husband had gone through surgery, he was bedbound and guess who were always by his side… Sasha and Simons! He’s our little kitten’s VIP now when at first he terrified the cat. She just wants to cuddle with him. She only answers when he calls.

When we were mourning our dog Simons last December, the cat helps make it more bearable. She’s always by our side. If I have to spend the night, she’s with me. When I start putting everything away, she gets ready, comes to the stairs and calls us to go upstairs.

My husband adores her. He built a gym for her. He feeds her. She’s totally spoiled. We have adopted another kitten, Kira, to keep her company while we are away. They sleep on the bed together. They prefer windowsills so they can enjoy the sight and the warmth. They play all day long, and my kids also love them. They enliven my life, they help me unwind, they channel bad energies, and I have fun seeing how they play with each other.

It’s my birthday today and my two cat-daughters are here with me on my bed while my kids are making a special breakfast with my husband, and I am so happy! I invite you to adopt a cat to put joy in your lives.

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[su_quote cite=”Anna”]

I own two cats, Candy and Puja. Thanks to them, I have realized that not all cats are born equal.

While one of them loves to sleep with me, the other one prefers to sleep alone. While the first eats when you serve her food, the second waits until you leave their eating place, etc.

By the way, I love the blog. I have learned tons reading it!

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[su_quote cite=”Jeri”]

Hello, I have had a cat, Bonita, for over three years. She was tiny, perhaps three months, she lived up a tree. My friends decided to bring her over to me because I had recently lost my companion of 14 years, my little Black, a poodle.

It took some time to get used to Bonita. I had two cats before, but they were very lovable while Bonita was aloof. I got her the tray with her pebbles the moment she got home and she used it straight away.

When she was 6 months old, I neutered her. I got her toys, boxes to play, and I played with her a lot. She was my alarm clock for work, but now that I retired she is very quiet and lets me sleep in. She sleeps by my side on the bed, sometimes at the feet, others on my head. I am always kissing her. She understands me when I call her and she answers with a meow to tell me her whereabouts. For the past few weeks, she is been cuddling on my lap when I am on my PC at nights.

Now she licks my hands when we are in bed and she cleans herself. I think she’s starting to love me. Oftentimes, I wondered why she didn’t love me. She wasn’t demonstrative at all, even though I always buy her the most expensive foods, I switch on the aircon in summer so she doesn’t roast while I keep the house warm in winter. She has it all!

I know when she wants to get out by the way she meows. And when she wants to come back in, she knocks on the door. If I go out for a few hours, I leave the windows open so she can get out. The minute she spots me in the distance, she starts calling for her mom (my neighbors told me so). She called me mummy until a day I came with another cat scent on me that she didn’t recognize and she bit me really bad and left a mark on me. Her teeth left a mark on my forearm and several bruises until the day I disciplined her and told her not to do this to mummy again.

I left her our in the cold for a few hours and she probably felt utterly abandoned by me because when she came back in, she didn’t eat or drink at all for the rest of the day. At night, she slept under my bed and since then she is just been curling on my skirt. She eats breakfast on bed with me because she loves cottage cheese and the moment she hears me opening the can, she jumps by my side thinking it must be tuna. I already buy her tuna, but anyway, I already told you my life story with Bonita. It was tough to train but she learned to live with me. She is my little precious girl and I adore her! Thank you for reading and much love to all lovers of these 4-legged guys!!!
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[su_quote cite=”Andrea”]

Awesome!!! In our case, my husband and I have a 2.5-year old cat and it is just the way you say they are. She waits for us to go to sleep. She knows what time it is. Well, she kind of waits for me, and when we go to bed, she jumps on top of our legs and finds a space to get comfortable and sleep, or over our belly too… Now I know why they sleep so much.

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[su_quote cite=”Paul Hoyt”]

My son was given a kitten, but at first, his mom and I, his dad, said “no” because we have a daughter who is allergic to cat hair. Since she’s not living with us any longer (she got married), we decided to keep it.

It has been three weeks since he arrived and worth watching every minute. On his first day, he was crying a lot, but he got used to the new house, and he is now playing with us. He’s always watching. When we are asleep, and he wants to wake us up, he jumps on top of our bed and carefully pats me on the face without scratching. However, he is much tougher when he is playing and tries to bite. I watch him with attention because I think he’s very intelligent.

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Sleeping with your cats is the most relaxing and tender time of the day! Cats bring peace… and they stand by you through thin and thick!

Sharing your joys and sorrows with your cat nourishes your soul.